{girls night in with Pinnacle Vodka}

Two years ago I was introduced to watching The Bachelor with a group of girlfriends as we rotated watching at each others houses every week.  At first I was in this get-together more for the wine and gossip since I was 100% skeptical of the cheesy show, but now I am full on convert obsessed with watching as the contestants compete for love (I'm really not kidding- my excitement to watch the finale last night was disturbing.)  Today I'm sharing with you my go-to entertaining set up for a girls night tv viewing party.  This formula of a batch cocktail, easy appetizers and light snacks is my go to for week night get togethers where you don't have a ton of time to prep.

Obviously you could serve wine to make it even easier on yourself, but batch cocktails only take a few more minutes to prep and they make the evening a lot more fun.  Plus guests are able to serve themselves so that as the host you can enjoy the evening as well!  For this recipe, I have modified one of my favorite girly cocktails, Maiden's Blush, into a party size recipe to serve 10 using Pinnacle Vodka and adding a champagne float.  Scroll to the bottom of the post for full recipe!

As for snacks, I always have a stockpile of spiced cashews, almonds or pistachios which I fill on a vintage tray with and set it on our coffee table for guests to graze on after the appetizers are finished.  My favorite appetizer is a good crostini recipe that tastes just as good when it is freshly toasted as it does once it has cooled after guests actually arrive.  You can see some past crostini recipes here, here and here, but for this one I keep it simple with a light spread of ricotta cheese, a tiny spoonful of ready-made pesto and top with freshly cut cherry tomatoes as well as a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  The pesto is what really brings the flavor in this crostini recipe so you could really substitute the ricotta and tomatoes for other fresh items you might have available such as goat cheese or fresh basil.

Cheers!

Pinnacle Vodka shakes things up with unexpected experiences and delightful discoveries. Explore with other fun flavors at http://www.pinnaclevodka.com Also, check us out at www.facebook.com/pinnaclevodkas and https://twitter.com/PinnacleVodka or find more fun entertaining and drink ideas on our Pinterest page at http://www.pinterest.com/pinnaclevodka/

Pinnacle® is a registered trademark of Jim Beam Brands Co. and is used with permission.  This is a sponsored partnership, with Pinnacle® Vodka, via Mode Media.  The information, comments, and ideas expressed on this website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Jim Beam Brands Co., its affiliated companies, or any of their directors or employees.

{moroccan dinner party inspiration}

Ever since we returned home from our trip to Marrakech, I have been dreaming about throwing a colorful party inspired by our time there.  Our 5 days in Morocco had such a magical feeling that only comes from being in a place that is so foreign and filled with exotic discoveries at every turn.  I hope I never forget the feeling of wandering through the maze of the souks taking in all the gorgeous trinkets or the intriguing all night dinners in ancient Riads served with the unparalleled hospitality of the region.  With the weather finally warming up I figured the coming weeks would be the perfect time to host a little outdoor dinner party starting at sunset with a decidedly Moroccan theme complete with plenty of romantic lanterns, vibrant colors and a flavorful Mediterranean menu.  Here's the inspiration board I put together for the evening:

I have a few go-to playlists that I use when we have guests over for dinner (as well as a couple for bigger parties or special trips), but I've been needing to create a refreshed version and this dinner party gave me the perfect excuse to mix some classic favorites with some more interesting moroccan inspired tracks.

You can play it directly from the playlist below or subscribe to it right here!

                                     

I can't wait to reveal some of the decor I have been hunting down and share the entire dinner party including the delicious menu with you soon!

Find what speaks to you.

Compensation was provided by Pier 1 via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Pier 1.

{party inspiration: cocktails & croquet}

Lately I have been daydreaming of warmer weather and all the fun outdoor activities it brings with it.  Roaming along the historic Paris streets and soaking in all the beaux arts details is truly inspiring, but it has also made me long for the bright pops of color more present in America.   After coming across a designer croquet set in a small boutique, I though what could be a more perfect party than throwing a "cocktails & croquet" themed get-together on a sunny spring afternoon!?!  I have a mild obsession with croquet (and cocktails for that matter!), forcing our friends into a game every time we are out in Palm Springs plus we even had a croquet set up during cocktail hour at our wedding!

Throwing a "cocktails & croquet" party would be as simple as whipping up a few batches of cocktails, purchasing a fun croquet set and heading to your local park (unless you are lucky enough to have a fabulous backyard!).   This email invite from Paperless Post would be perfect especially with a note asking guests to dress in "croquet whites" as well as requesting they bring along an easy snack dish to take some of the work off the hosts!  I would also pick up some striped napkins and tablecloths, this trophy vase for table decor, and of course a pack of lawn flamingos!  

Here's a little inspiration board I put together for this event and hopefully I can make it a reality on a sunny weekend once we return from Europe!

{party inspiration: love hangover brunch}

Valentine's conveniently falls on a Friday this year which is great for those brave enough to venture out into the battlefield of restaurant reservations battles and fixed price menus, but it also allows the opportunity for a fun day after party on Saturday!!  While we usually celebrate Valentine's with an intimate home-cooked dinner, I have always thought it would be fun to host a big Valentine's party for all our friends.  If we were home I would definitely be throwing a boozy day after brunch complete with red/pink/purple decor, brightly colored flowers, an overflowing bloody mary bar, and a DIY waffle bar.  This party would also be the perfect time to make two of my party wishlist items a reality: getting to wear the dream outfit of a glam sequin skirt/white t-shirt and snacking on a cake stand tower of delicious donuts!

Check back next week for a little Valentine's gift guide or browse the one from last year here!

{party inspiration: winter blues indoor campout}

The holidays are over and besides Valentine's day next month there doesn't seem to be much to celebrate other than cold winter weather (unless you are in California where it is currently 80 degrees!).  Even though we are lucky to be missing the worst part of Chicago winter while living in Paris, the weather here is still chilly and a bit rainy on most days which prevents us from having any fabulous Parisian picnics under the Eiffel Tower.  So why not host a cozy party to bring the outdoors in and combat the inevitable winter blues with a little indoor campout complete with spiked hot chocolate and tasty s'mores!?!?  All you need to do is move your furniture back, toss out a few warm blankets, light a fire (or create a fake one!) and put out all the fixings for your guests to whip up a warm glass of hot chocolate (with adult mix-ins of course!).   The best part is this party works just as well for both a larger party as it does for a intimate surprise date night!

{holiday party idea: blind wine tasting}

A couple years ago, our friends hosted a super fun wine tasting party at their place that I have been dying to recreate.  So when Target asked me to put together a little holiday party inspiration using some of their new products,  I immediately thought the wine tasting idea would be perfect for a quick and easy holiday party!

The way this party works is you will ask each guest or couple to bring a bottle of wine under $25 - you can even specify a varietal like Pinot Noir. When the guests enter have them hand you the bottle so that you can wrap it in kraft paper or a brown bag and then assign their bottle a number without anyone else seeing (as the host you will be the only one who knows all the different bottles and their corresponding numbers).  Ideally you will have one glass per bottle per guest so that guests can try the different wines and refer back to them rather than emptying out their glass.  We have a shocking amount of wine glasses in our house, but if you don't own enough wine glasses to make this possible then you can easily rent some.

Serve appetizers as well as some sweets and let guests mingle while trying the different wines then reporting their thoughts on printed "notes" cards.  Tally up the favorite bottle selections at the end of the night (this bottle of Pinot Noir won the year we did this) and give the guest who brought the winning bottle a nice bottle of wine or another fun gift!  Links to items used for this party are under each photo and the download links to the printables are at the bottom of this post!

{gold Nate Berkus vase, gold prism tray, wine glasses}

 {wine tag printable}

 {wine bottle number printable}

 {gold rimmed decanters}

 {leftover florals from our Thanksgiving dinner which I will be sharing later this week}

 {gold rimmed agate tray, white ceramic trophy vase from older Target collection but find a similar one here, wine notes printables}

 {vintage black milk glass cake stands - find similar here}

 {gold prism tray by Nate Berkus, gold/black wrapping paper from holiday dept at Target}

  {I like the idea of setting up a spot for each guest to keep their glasses so that they aren't trying to roam your party holding 3 or 4 in one hand- I used simple place cards to designate an area for each person}

{free download link for wine tasting party printables}

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media.  The 

opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of 

the opinions or positions of Target.

{party inspiration: VS fashion show viewing party}

For years now I have always loved watching the Victoria's Secret Fashion show on TV every holiday season- it's just the epitome of girly silliness plus the musical acts in the past shows have only gotten better and better! Back when we were living in LA, some of my girlfriends and I got together to have a little viewing party for the fashion show with a "sweatpants & jewelry" theme showing up in our comfiest yoga pants, but wearing layers of our most fun jewelry.

In honor of the VS Fashion show taking place this evening and airing in a few weeks, I thought I would put together a little party inspiration board for this exact theme as I am hoping to host this party again this year.  So grab your ladies together for a fun girly night in their chic-est sweats dripping in their most over-the-top baubles!

PS- this post is not sponsored by Victoria's Secret- I really am just that obsessed with watching their fashion show every year! :)

{party inspiration: a grilled cheese soiree}

You might have seen on Instagram that last Sunday night we hosted a little grilled cheese soiree at our place and it might just be my new favorite party theme.  We purchased a bunch of bread and butter then asked guests to B.Y.O.C. - bring their own cheese and desired toppings.  Of course there ended up being a little friendly competition among guests to make the best grilled cheese combination- some of the front runners included jalapeño pesto pear with gruyere, baked beans with cheddar, and a surprising combo of american singles with hot dogs!  This is such an easy inexpensive last minute party idea that requires minimal set up and it gets guests involved!

{2013 Printable Emmy Ballots}

The Emmys really snuck up on me this year.  I can't believe they are coming up this weekend!  While we aren't planning on going all out like we did for last year's Oscars Party, I still plan on filling out my ballot, enjoying some champagne cocktails & watching the primetime Emmy awards this Sunday (and judging people's dress choices...obviously).   I really loved the booklet format we used for our Oscars ballot so I decided to repeat that idea for the Emmy ballot printable. I really hope you have a chance to print and enjoy these!! I also hope I don't embarrass myself horribly with my ballot choices like I have in the past....

Links to all the free printable pages for the ballots are at the bottom of this post!

{In addition to the friendly competition of the ballot selections, I also included this amazing drinking game that Gotham News put together in this year's ballot.  Let's face it...if you aren't turning an awards ceremony into a drinking game then you aren't doing it right.}

 {I realize not everyone has the time to put together booklets so I also created a simple 4 page pdf that you can print directly onto regular copy paper with no assembly required!}

PRINTABLE PAGES TO ASSEMBLE BOOKLET FORMAT BALLOT (requires assembly)

assembly instructions:

print "page one-front" then flip page over and run it through your printer again when you print "page-back."  Repeat this process with the files "page two-front" & "page two-back."  I assembled my booklets by placing two hole punches in the middle of the book along the folded seam then I ran a piece of gold twine through them and tied it in a knot to secure.  For faster assembly you can place two staples on the outside seam as close to the folded edge as possible. 

PRINTABLE FULL COPY PAGE PDF (no assembly)

{bachelorette party supplies}

Summer means wedding season which is great and all, but the really nice part about wedding season is the cooresponding bachelorette party season!!!  I love a good excuse to throw a fun girly party for a night out filled with champagne and confetti.  My one complaint with bachelorette parties is the obnoxious decor- can we all just agree once and for all to leave the penis crowns and pink zebra striped decorations at the tacky party store where they belong?  Here's a little round up of some fun alternatives for any bachelorette parties in your future:

For the bride:  No need to over-do it, but the bride to be HAS to wear a little something.  This is not negotiable.  When else in her life can she parade drunkenly around in a wedding veil.  Simply inform your bride-to-be friend that this is happening and buy her a simple veil.  And grab the adorable ring sunglasses to go with it!

Groupwear: In addition to the penis crowns, please also leave the matching rhinestone tank tops at home.  You are all better than that and your wardrobes deserve more.  That doesn't mean the ladies shouldn't get the chance to wear a coordinating accessory because like the bride's outfit- when else do you get to parade around with your friends wearing the same cute flair?!?  Colorful flower crowns (diy tutorial here) or bow headbands (see them in action here) make a nice alternative.  Personally I love the chiffon or tulle pouf for the ladies to wear, but I am biased since that's what we did for my bachelorette- see an easy tutorial for those here.   You can't go wrong with a simple pair of earrings like these or festive Lolita sunglasses.

Decor:  If you can just recreate the decor from this amazing 30th birthday party then you will be all set!!! Throw in a pink + gold tassel garland from The Flair Exchange to fancy up your hotel room and add a cute fringed heart on the wall- perfect for photo ops!

Activities:  Since most guests will expect a game, why not make it enjoyable for everyone and have a little blindfolded champagne tasting contest.  Buy a few different bottles of champagne- have all the girls blindly taste them and see if they can guess which is which! Don't forget to pick up a cute blindfold!

Favors:  Whether it is the bride to be or the main party planner who buys some favors for the guests, it is always fun to have a little something to thank everyone for coming.   Load up a cute tote bag with custom cocktail bottles, nail polish and other fun items- see some more ideas what to put in these bags here. 

Special Extras:  These are just some fun items to bring along for extra credit- girl's night table topics would make for a fun late night activity, custom name krazy straws would be perfect for guests to keep track of their drink and of course a secret stash of confetti never hurts!

{party inspiration: craft beer tasting party}

Girly party themes are so to come up with (sequins anyone?), but thinking of a fun party theme that is also masculine is a real challenge.  I decided to put a little party inspiration board for a craft beer tasting party I thought up after seeing these great (and affordable!) beer tasting sets at Target.  If anyone has any great masculine party theme ideas out there, I would LOVE to hear them!

{kentucky derby jersey stirrers}

Who's ready to watch the fastest two minutes in sports this weekend otherwise known as the Kentucky Derby?!?! Well you will be most prepared if you download and print these drink stirrers that will allow your guests to mark their pick for winner by showcasing it in their mint julep!  The stirrers showcase each of the horses that will be vying for that awesome rose wreath this weekend.  As of now, I think my money's on "Fear The Kitten" because well...that's about the best name for a pony that I have ever heard (who cares that he is placed at 50 to 1 odds!).

Click here or on the image below to download the 2-page PDF printable of the drink stirrers!

{kentucky derby party inspiration}

With the Kentucky Derby right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to put together a little party inspiration for in home viewing party.  I have never actually hosted (or even watched) the Kentucky Derby, but I know it would be an easy and festive little party to throw together.  All you would really need is a few mint juleps and tea sandwiches plus requiring ladies to wear fabulous hats and gents to don a bow tie.  Throw in a few grass green party decorations as well as maybe these awesome party favors and you are ready to go!

{oscars viewing party ballots}

For the past couple years, we have been printing ballots and corresponding bingo games for almost every award show.  Before I discovered free printable ballots, I would only really watch the Oscars award ceremony, but filling out your picks for the winners makes watching every award show fun and enjoyable.  This year we are hosting a little get together to watch the Oscars (see the inspiration board here) and I decided that since I didn't have a chance to send out real invites that taking it up a notch with the ballots would be substitute for some snail mail.  Inspired by this image on Pinterest, I created some fun booklet style ballots for each of our guests.  I dropped them in the mail earlier this week so that everyone could get a head start with their picks since we are planning on making the competition interesting!

If anyone is interested in printing ballots like my own, feel free to email me and I will send you the files.  Otherwise, I highly recommend this ballot and bingo from How About Orange.